Key result
Brain and spinal cord atrophy measured by MRI develops early in multiple sclerosis and is closely linked to clinical impairment, serving as a key marker for disease progression.
Why the study?
How does MRI-measured brain and spinal cord atrophy correlate with clinical impairment and disease progression in multiple sclerosis?
How does MRI-measured brain and spinal cord atrophy correlate with clinical impairment and disease progression in multiple sclerosis?
MRI-based measurement of central nervous system atrophy is a crucial tool for monitoring disease progression and evaluating therapeutic efficacy in multiple sclerosis.
May improve MS impairment prediction beyond lesions; leaves open integration into treatment algorithms pending higher-level evidence.
Evaluation of brain and spinal cord atrophy by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become an increasingly important component of understanding the multiple sclerosis (MS) disease process. These destructive aspects of the disease develop early in the disease course. A growing body of data links brain and spinal cord atrophy to clinical impairment more closely than can be linked with conventional measures of overt lesions. Thus, irreversible tissue damage may be a key factor leading to disease progression. In this review, the authors present the proposed mechanisms leading to central nervous system (CNS) atrophy. They describe the available MRI-based techniques to measure regional and global atrophy of the brain and spinal cord. They compare the rate of atrophy among MS phenotypes and summarize the emerging data linking atrophy to neurological and neuropsychological impairment. Finally, they discuss the effect of disease-modifying immunotherapies on the rate of CNS atrophy in patients with MS. Future research to clarify the etiology and pathophysiology of brain and spinal cord atrophy should provide new targets for therapeutic development.
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Bakshi et al. (2005) conducted a review in Multiple Sclerosis. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for measuring brain and spinal cord atrophy was evaluated. Brain and spinal cord atrophy measured by MRI develops early in multiple sclerosis and is closely linked to clinical impairment, serving as a key marker for disease progression.
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